Ramp Mashed Potatoes

Topped with fresh ramps

When cooking with ramps the ideas and uses are limitless, yet sometimes you have to get back to the basics. This re-creation of a classic recipe is something I ate growing up and I'm sure many of you have too. Yet I've made a few tasty alterations to include ramps into the recipe, I’m sure it will not disappoint. This is my twist on ramp mash potatoes; they are a great side dish to help introduce people to ramps. This recipe leaves the potatoes with a mild flavoring of ramps throughout the dish without being over powering.

Ingredients

8 to 10 – Red Potatoes

4 to 6 – Small/Medium Whole Ramps (bulbs, stalks, and leaves)

4 to 8 Tablespoons – Butter

½ Cup – Milk 

In a large pot put water on to boil while cutting / quartering up potatoes. Once the potatoes are cut, place them in the boiling water with a pinch or two of salt. Allow for potatoes to boil for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are soft.

While the potatoes are boiling separate the ramp bulbs and stems from the leaves. Once the ramps leaves are separated from the steams, finely mince the steams and bulbs and rough chop the remaining leaves of the ramps. Add one to two tablespoons of butter to a small skillet on medium heat. After the majority of the butter has melted, add the ramps (minced bulbs/stems and rough chopped leaves) and sauté.

By this time the potatoes should be soft enough to begin mashing them. To start this process the potatoes need to be removed from the heat and then drained. Put the drained potatoes back into the/a pot and run a potatoes masher through the potatoes until they are broken into small chucks. At this point add two to four tablespoons of butter and the ½ cup of milk to the mashed potatoes and stir/mix the potatoes. Continue stirring until they reach your preferred consistency. Now add the sautéed ramps and butter used to sauté them to the bowl of mashed potatoes; stir the ramps in until they are mixed thoroughly throughout the potatoes. If you like your mashed potatoes a little on the creamier side you can add a few more splashes of milk and then more butter to flavor. 

New & Improved Pickled Ramps

The New & Improved Pickled Ramps

For those of you that have been following this blog for a while know that about this time last year I was looking for a way to persevere my ramps longer. While on a fishing trip last year I found a way but for more on that story you can read it here. After doing some brief research I found a recipe, from none other than Martha Stewart, for Pickled Ramps. This was the recipe I used last year, it was good but I thought with more research, asking some friends, and a little tweaking on my part I could make it better. That is exactly what I did and here it is:

Ingredients:

• +/- 2 lbs Ramps (Cleaned up and trimmed with only the stem and bulb intact)
• 1 cup White Wine Vinegar
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seed
• 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed
• 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

Directions:

Step One: Blanch the ramps for thirty seconds to a minute.

Step Two: After blanching the the ramps, drain them and place them into previously prepped mason jar(s). I prefer to use pint jars as this recipe will roughly four full pint jars, but any size jar or jars will do. Also to add a little more favor, at this point I add one whole dried chile pepper to the jar as well as the ramps.

Step Three: Combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Step Four: Add the crushed red pepper, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, and fennel seeds to the boiling pickling brine.

Step Five: Pour the pickling brine over the ramps in the mason jar. At this point there are two choices to make, you can seal the jar(s) and place them in the fridge to cool and you can continue with the proper "hot bathing" technique. If placed directly into the fridge they will last for a few week up to a few months, if properly canned they can last substantially longer.

Cash's Ramp Salt

Ramps straight out of the food processor.

Almost two weeks ago now I took to Twitter with a question of what else could I do with all the ramps I had dug. I know a lot of different ways to cook them in entrees or side dishes or even preserve them, but there is always something new to learn and try and that is exactly what I found. I had always thought and wondered about dehydrating ramps but never followed through. Come to find out this isn't something that abnormal. A reader, @Cashwv06, started tweeting with me and asked if I had tried "Ramp Salt," this is something I had not  tried or heard of. There was only one thing left to do, get the recipe and try it. To say the least this is a very simple recipe but it has limitless possibilities. I have already used this on steaks, pizza, popcorn, and even my eggs.


Ingredients:

• 1 part Salt
• 3 parts Processed Ramps

Directions:

Step One: Dehydrate previously cleaned ramps. This part is to be used as a guideline, I dehydrated my ramps (four trays) for eight to ten hours at 125 degrees.

Step Two: After ramps are crisp to the touch, transfer them to a food processor or blender. Proceed to process the ramps until they are a powdered / finely crunched mixture. If there any large pieces or debris left in the mixture remove so that it will not be in final mixture.

Step Three: Combine three parts of the processed ramps to one part salt (Example - I mixed 3/4 cup of ramps with 1/4 cup of salt). Mix together thoroughly and store to use on everything! I prefer to store mine in a pint jar which makes for easy access but most anything that is air tight will do.

Spicy Ramp Burgers

It's a little messy but it's our
makeshift fishing kitchen.
- Cheat River, Preston County, WV

As I wrote about yesterday, the ramps around here were ready a lot sooner than normal. This week will be filled with the recipes I listed yesterday as well as a few pictures. First on the menu this week are my Spicy Ramp Burgers, they were taste tested on a fishing trip a few weeks and to say the least there was not any leftovers. But there were a few complaint of being to full to continue fishing. I'll take that as a complement / approval. If you remember last year, I made traditional "Ramp Burgers," this recipe is very similar but I promise it will give a new flavor to an old favorite nor will it dissapoint.

Ingredients

• 1 lbs. of Ground Beef or Venison
• 3 to 5 Ramps (bulbs, stalks, and greens included)
• 1 Large or 2 Small Jalapeno Pepper(s)
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper (Preferred Amount)
• 1 teaspoon - Ground Sage
• 1 Tablespoon - Worcestershire Sauce

Step One: Mince or finally chop the ramps (bulbs, stalks and greens) and jalapeno pepper(s)** and add to a large mixing bowl. 

**- To reduce the heat/spiciness of the burgers you can remove the seeds from the pepper(s) before mincing them. I have done this both ways, with the seeds removed there is more of a smoky, warm flavor while leaving the seeds in does provide a little more tangy, kick to the burgers. This is all based on personal preference of those eating the burgers and yourself.

Step Two: Combine the minced ramps and peppers and ground beef or venison to a mixing bowl and mix together. 

Step Three: Add the Worcestershire sauce, ground Sage, and Salt and Pepper to burger mixture. Mix until mixture is blended thoroughly.

Step Four: If needed you can make these burgers immediately, but for the best flavor allow the mixture to sit/marinade in the refrigerator for six to twelve hours. 

Step Five: Make into burger patties and grill/cook. If choosing to make these into Cheeseburgers,  Pepper Jack Cheese is recommended.

Additional Quick Tip: If make these or any burgers to-go, I always like to pre-make my patties and separate them with parchment/wax paper and place them all in a container in the cooler so that there is one less step to worry about at meal time nor is there anywhere near the mess to deal with along the riverbank. 

Early Ramps 2012

With an early spring, it has brought out the ramps roughly a month ahead of last year. Last year it wasn't even until April 10th when Cassie and I took Buster on a hike and started checking for ramps.  To date (this year), I have already attempted three new ramp recipes and  also made a few favorites for dinner (Cassie's Ramp Potatoes and Ramp Burgers). If you are new to this blog or have heard me rambling on twitter about ramps and are still questioning what they are you can find out more about them here in my previous post, " All Ramped Up!".

A few new recipes to look for this week:

• Spicy Ramp Burgers
• Cash's Ramp Salt
• New & Improved Pickled Ramps

Cassie's Ramp Potatoes

This past week we have been making a lot of dishes with ramps because I picked so many last time I was out. Cassie even got involved with cooking an amazing side dish, so I couldn't resist asking her to do a guest post. So without further ado...

A few weeks ago Justin brought home a 5 gallon bucket full of ramps.I was really excited until he asked me to help him cook some. Now, don't get me wrong, I love ramps, when someone else cooks them. This year is my first time cooking ramps for myself let alone someone else. Luckily, I have consumed enough ramp recipes to have a basic idea of what to do with them.  My favorite way to eat ramps is fried up in some 'taters. So I tweaked a generic online recipe to make a pretty tasty side dish, if I do say so myself. 

Ramp Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease a cake pan with a little EVOO
3. Wash a half bag of red potatoes, then cut them up into quarters
4. Dice up 2 green peppers
5. Cut up and dice 10-15 ramps (depends on your preference), I left some of the green leafy parts in the dish per Justin's request. I personally like leaving them out, but they aren't bad. How small you dice the ramps is another personal preference. I like mine small and bite size so that's what I did.
6. Combine all ingredients  and place into greased cake pan
7. Salt & pepper to taste
8. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of EVOO over the ingredients and bake for 45 mins or until the potatoes are tender.

Ingredient List

• 2 green peppers
• 1/2 bag of red potatoes
• EVOO
• 10-15 ramps
• Salt 
• Pepper

Pickled Ramps

Around this time last year Jay, Skippie, Scott, and I went on an day long fishing trip, one thing you'll learn and I think I even stated in "On the Water: March 19, 2011" is that whenever you go fishing with Skippie, you never go hungry. This lunch was nothing out of the ordinary (Deer steak, potato packets, and corn), but there was a treat this time, freshly pickled ramps. I swore after having those that day I would start making my own once I started canning. This past summer was the first attempt at canning, so you can only guess what that means. I recently went on a trip and picked a five gallon bucket of ramps for friends, family, and myself. I froze some, made some potatoes and ramps, and even attempted to pickled them. I haven't had any experience with them, so I did want anyone would do, I googled how to pickle ramps and none other than Martha Stewart had a recipe for it, so I tried it.

Pickled Ramps

Ingredients

• 1 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• Pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10 ounces ramps, trimmed and rinsed well

Directions

Stir together vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, red-pepper flakes, thyme, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add ramps; return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Pickled ramps can be refrigerated in their liquid in an airtight container up to 1 month.

Ramp Burgers

As many of you should have been able to tell, I love ramps! If you still don't know what a ramp is, you can find out in my post "All Ramped Up!", it will give you a little more insight. One of my first of many ramp recipes is going to be something simple, Ramp Burgers. Everyone knows how to make a burger or at least has an idea, but I am going to show you how I do without letting the ramps over take the burger.

Meat

• 1 lbs. of ground beef or venison

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 ramps (bulbs, stalks, and greens)
• Pepper
• Salt
• Crush Red Pepper
• Liquid Smoke

Step 1: Go dig a mess of ramps or acquire them at your local Farmers Market (if that is a possibility in your region).

Step 2: Throughly wash the ramps and trim off the roots (and greens if you do not wish to include them). I prefer to include part of the greens into the recipe as they do not have as much favor as the bulb or stalk, but they help spread the flavor throughout the burger.

Step 3: Finely mince the the ramp bulbs, stalks, and chosen amount of greens. I have found that 8 to 10 small/medium sized ramps give the best amount of flavor without overpowering the burger. Then add the minced ramps into the meat and mix into the meat.

Step  4: Add Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, and Liquid Smoke to flavor. 

Step 5: Form meat into patties.

Step 6: Throw them onto the grill, cook to preferred doneness.

Step 7: Put on a bun, kick back with a cold beer and enjoy.

All Ramped Up!

I know I've rambled on about ramps many times before. Between my "About Me" page, posts, and it seems I talk about them the most on Twitter, I'm sure people are wondering what exactly are ramps. For me, they are something I simply grew up with in Appalachia. It was also something you knew you didn't want to eat if you had to be anywhere special or at least not wanting to smell of ramps for that night and the next morning. As I grew up, but I found that this wasn't completely true, as they do have a potent odor, it doesn't attach to you as fiercely as the old wives tales lead one to believe. There are festivals and dinners all around my home state of West Virginia for these delicious things. As you are reading this, I am sure some of  you are still a little puzzled as to what a ramp is. That's what I am here to try and help you with.

What are they?
Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are also commonly known as wild leeks, they may also by referred to by the names spring onion, ramson, and wild garlic. Wikipedia defines a ramp as an early spring vegetable with a strong garlicky odor and a pronounced onion flavor. A perennial member of the onion family (Alliaceae), the plant has broad, smooth, light green leaves, often with deep purple or burgundy tints on the lower stems, and a scallion-like stalk and bulb. They normally grow in clusters, strongly rooted just below the surface.

Where can they be found?
Although ramps have strong ties to Appalachia, they grow throughout most of the mid-Atlantic states ranging as far north as Canada. One of the reason for the strong ties to Appalachia is because of its physical geography. Ramps are normally found in forested areas that are shady and sandy, often near rivers and streams. They frequently grow on the north side of embankments in small clumps. They can be cultivated with planting seeds or transplanting bulbs. The seeds will take from five to seven years to harvest and if you choose to transplant bulbs it should be done in early spring and will take between two to four years to be ready to harvest.

What are their uses?
There are many thing you can do with ramps. I like to eat a few raw while I am picking them, but that is just one of the many ways one can eat ramps. Some of my personal favorites are to pickle, mince into burgers, cook with potatoes and ham, stew, raw, and a salad with the greens. For other new recipes and the abilities you can always attend a ramp festival or a ramp dinner.

Festivals and Dinners
Most service organizations and Fire/EMS department around West Virginia do ramp dinners as a fund raiser in the spring, this is always a good time for the people who aren't able to go pick their own or don't have the time or ability to. One of the largest Ramp Festivals in held in Richwood, WV. The community of Richwood hosts the "Feast of the Ramson" in April, it is sponsored by the National Ramp Association. Another Ramp Festival in WV is held in Elkins. They host the "International Ramp Festival", this event has a cook-off and a ramp eating contest.

My Weekend In Pictures

I am going to give everyone a quick review of my weekend in picture form. 

There will be follow up posts to give the rest of the stories behind these pictures.

The start of our trek.

We struck gold!! This one's for you JM, one of the few who will know this one by sight.

I have an odd obsession with taking pictures of posted signs.

Looks like our trek paid off.

Myself and Jay with our Certificates of Training. If you follow me on Twitter,
you'd know what these Certificates were for.